Beef Stew Take One

It's hard to say whether this recipe was a failure or a success.  I suppose it depends on your definition.  It's not my favorite beef stew, but I'm the only one who didn't like it.  So I hesitate to say it failed since everyone else enjoyed it.  I'm not sure what exactly about it I didn't like.  I think I wanted a deeper beef flavor.  I'm not sure I liked the beer.  I think I will try a few variations on this recipe.  Maybe try red wine instead of beer.  Maybe try it without either.  Maybe decrease the amount of tomato paste a bit.  The beef itself was very very tender and that part I loved, so I'm not quite ready to toss this recipe.  So here's the original and as the terminator said "I'll be back".  By the way the original recipe came from The Pioneer Woman, who, as I have always said, is amazing.

Ingredients

• 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1 Tablespoon Butter
• 2 pounds Stew Meat
• 1 whole Medium Onion, Diced
• 3 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1 can Beer, 12 Ounce Can
• 4 cups Beef Stock (or 4 Cups Water + 4 Beef Bouillon Cubes)
• 2 cups Water (additional, If Needed)
• 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
• 2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
• 1/2 teaspoon Paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• 1-1/2 teaspoon Sugar
• 4 whole Carrots, Washed, Unpeeled, And Roughly Sliced
• 4 whole New Potatoes, Quartered
• Minced Parsley (optional)

Preparation Instructions

Heat oil and butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Brown meat in two batches, setting aside on a plate when brown. Cut pieces in half. Set aside.
Add diced onions to the pot. Stir and cook for two or three minutes until softened, then add garlic for another minute. Pour in beer and beef stock, then add Worcestershire, tomato paste, paprika, salt, pepper, and sugar. Add beef back into the pot. Stir to combine. Cover and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Add carrots and potatoes, then cover and cook for an additional 30 minutes. (If stew gets dry, just add a cup of hot water at a time to replenish the liquid.) Taste and adjust seasonings as needed

Cuppa Cuppa Cuppa Cake

I borrowed this recipe from the Pioneer Woman (who is awesome) who borrowed from Steel Magnolias. It's really a cobbler. But the easiest cobber ever. 1 Cup all purpose flour 1 Cup sugar 1 Cup fruit coctail (do not drain) Mix and pour into small baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees until golden brown. P.S. I'm glad to be back.

Dark Chocolate Bread Pudding

Could there be a better name. The words alone make me feel a little giddy. This recipe is from a King Arthur Flour catalog. King Arthur has alot of great products and some that are especially hard to find if you live in an isolated area such as gluten free and organic baking products. You can request a catolog or order online at www.kingarthurflour.com

They have lots of recipes on their site too (and a blog to boot). Check them out. And try this recipe.

Dark Chocolate Bread Pudding

10 to 12 slices bread, cut into 1/2" cubes, to yield about 6 1/2 cups bread cubes*
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate, chopped, or chocolate chips
1 cup (7 ounces) sugar
1/2 cup (1 1/2 ounces) cocoa, natural or Dutch-process
3 cups (24 ounces) milk or half and half
6 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

*A 1-pound loaf of bread or brioche should yield about 6 1/2 cups bread cubes.

Lightly butter the bottom and sides of a 2-quart baking dish, 9" x 13" pan, or equivalent; our heart pan (pictured above) works well here.

Toss the bread cubes with 1 cup of the chopped semisweet chocolate, and place in the prepared pan.

Combine the remaining chopped chocolate with the sugar, cocoa, and 1 1/2 cups of the milk or half and half in a saucepan set over low heat.

Cook, stirring, until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is thickened and smooth. Transfer to a large bowl, and whisk in the remaining milk or half and half. Whisk in the eggs, salt, and vanilla. Pour the mixture over the bread cubes and let rest for 30 minutes or so at room temperature, until the chocolate custard has been absorbed by the bread. While the pudding is resting, preheat the oven to 325°F.

Bake the pudding for 45 to 50 minutes, until it's set. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes to allow the custard to fully set before serving. Serve warm with whipped cream, ice cream, or dusted with confectioners' sugar. Yield: 10 servings.

Chickpea Brownies

Somebody went and made brownies from chickpeas. Yeah, they did. I am going to try this recipe and love it's creator even if the brownies suck, because you have to admit, that takes creativity. I made pinto bean muffins once and was booed out of the house. Seriously, if you mash them up, you don't know they're there. I suspect it's the same with the chickpeas. If Jessica Seinfeld can put spinach in a brownie, by golly, somebody can put chickpeas in there.

I swiped this recipe from another blog (is that legal?). www.deliciouswisdom.com
Tis an absolutely wonderful website. You may have never heard of agave nectar, but I just happen to have some in my pantry. Check out the website and the brownie recipe. I hope to try it soon. Click on the title to go directly to the website and the recipe.

I made a new friend...

and an unlikely one at that. His name was bread pudding. He was the most unapealing looking creature a cake hater would dare dip a fork into. But I was so amused by the escalating excitement of the server as he assured me I had not lived until I tried it, well I had to try it. I have to live after all, and he had to wipe the drool off his chin. He picked the perfect piece and told me that I must have it with a bit of vanilla ice cream, another dessert item I'm not particularly excited about.

This was a strange looking square on my plate. It looked like cake only wetter. I even caught myself grimacing as I raised the first forkfull of warm swamp cake to my lips. Fully prepared to be disgusted. I was so wrong. I feel like someone has been keeping a secret from me. What is this bread pudding I've never heard of? It wasn't cake. And it wasn't really soggy either. It definately was not pudding. I don't know where that name came from. It was like warm zucchini bread without the zucchini. I instantly wanted to be sitting beside a fireplace watching the snow fall.

So as a good dork would do I googled bread pudding recipes and found that approximately 8 million versions. There are savory bread puddings, which seem really similar to a strata. And there are banana bread puddings, chocolate bread puddings, pumpkin bread puddings, caramel bread puddings. A Louisiana bread pudding with whiskey sauce - I think I'll stay away from that one for obvious reasons. At some point I will wade through the mountain of bread puddings and return with some viable recipes.

Pumpkin Smoothie

I'm in love with whoever threw this recipe together. I love pumpkin. I've never met anyone else who's uttered those words, which makes me seem a bit strange now that I think about it. It's an odd thing to love, but I love pumpkin so deal with it. I don't however like to get messy, so thank you Libby for making pumpkin available year round and mess free. This is good stuff. Think pumpkin flavored milkshake. I love that you only need 1/2 cup pumpkin which is about the amount I usually have left when I make pumpkin soup (and yes, I make it alot). Here's the recipe...enjoy it by a warm fire while reading a good book. While your at invite me over - you provide the fireplace, I'll provide the smoothie.

1/2 cup canned pumpkin (be sure to use canned pumpkin, not canned pie filling)
1/2 cup vanilla soy milk (can use plain soy milk)
1/2 cup crushed ice
1 tbsp. honey
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
Directions:

Place all ingredients in blender and process until smooth.

Nutritional Info: 162 calories | 5 grams protein | 34 grams carbs | 4 grams fiber | 2 grams fat

Tomato Grits from Paula Deen

Yum, yum, yum, yum, yum, yum. Can't think of any more decriptors. Just YUM. A few notes: I can not even fathom using a stick of butter in anything so I used half. Didn't make it much less offensive to my arteries but it did make me feel better. I omitted the cooking of the green onions. It just seemed like an unnecessary step. I also don't have a clue what a garlic cheese roll is so I used 4 oz of cream cheese. The results were still Yum. I'm not sure what role the eggs play. I saw a version of this recipe on the food network and the garlic roll was replaced with velveeta and garlic powder and the eggs were omitted. Next time I may try it without. Either way, did I mention this was Yum?

Ingredients
2 cups water
1 1/4 cups milk
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup quick cooking grits
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon butter
1/3 cup diced green onions
4 ounces kraft garlic cheese roll
2 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chilies (suggested: Ro-Tel)
2 eggs lightly beaten

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a saucepan, bring the water and milk to a boil. Add the salt and slowly add the grits and return to a boil, stirring constantly for 1 minute. (stirring here is key to correct consistency) Reduce the heat, cover, and cook for 3 minutes. While stirring the grits add the 1/2 cup of butter and stir until butter is melted. Cover and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the grits are thick and creamy. Remove from heat and set aside.

Using a skillet, saute the onions in the remaining tablespoon of butter for 1 minute. Add the garlic cheese, 1 1/2 cups cheddar, and onions to grits, and stir until the cheese is melted. Add the tomatoes and egg and mix well. Pour the grits into a greased 8 by 11 by 2-inch casserole and bake for 40 minutes. Sprinkle remaining 1 cup cheese over the casserole for the last 5 minutes of cooking time.